Patrol arrests immigrants with long rap sheets

Five illegal immigrants arrested in the Yuma area over a 24-hour period this week have among them nearly 70 prior arrests in the United States for offenses ranging from disorderly conduct to vehicular manslaughter, the Border Patrol said.

The five, all Mexican nationals, were arrested by Border Patrol agents Tuesday and Wednesday after having previously been deported from this country, the patrol said in a news release.

All will be prosecuted for re-entry after deportation, the patrol said.

The first arrest came Tuesday morning when agents arrested Azael Santos-Juan, 28, near the Colorado River. Juan, who said he was planning to catch a freight train heading to Los Angeles, had been previously arrested 10 times for disorderly conduct along with prior arrests for theft, trespassing, battery and solicitation of prostitution, the patrol said. He has served approximately 50 days in jail and was on probation for seven years.

Also Tuesday morning, agents from the patrol's Wellton station arrested 23-year-old Julio Ramos-Ceballos, who, the patrol said, admitted to being a member of the Sureno gang with affiliation to the “Fly Boys” out of Stockton, Calif.

Ceballos, who was en route to Stockton, previously was arrested twice on possession of a controlled substance for sale, and once on possession of a firearm. He has spent 10 years on probation for those charges, the patrol said.

Tuesday night, agents from the Yuma station's all-terrain vehicle unit tracked and arrested Ramon Vasquez-Chavez, 41, after he swam across the All-American Canal about seven miles west of the U.S. Port of Entry at Andrade, Calif., the release said.

Record checks revealed that Chavez had prior arrests for offenses including alien smuggling, vehicular manslaughter, auto theft and possession of a controlled substance. He spent more than six years in prison on those offenses, the patrol said.

Later Tuesday evening, agents from the Yuma Station arrested Eduardo Martinez-Lopez, 25, who admitted to being a member of the Paisanos gang in Mexico, the patrol said. Lopez, who was arrested near the Colorado River while on his way to Fresno, Calif., had prior arrests for vehicle theft, hit and run, possession of stolen property, battery, evading arrest, burglary and being under the influence of a controlled substance, and spent more than five years in prison, the patrol said.

Wednesday morning, agents from the Yuma Station arrested Elsa Aguilar-Lugo, 46, east of the Andrade port and near the Colorado River. Lugo, also on her way to Fresno, previously was arrested for offenses including theft, burglary, sale of marijuana, possession of cannabis, felony assault with a deadly weapon, assault with gross bodily harm and disorderly conduct, the patrol said. Lugo spent three years in prison.